This honey garlic baked cod is flaky, caramelized on the edges, and honestly tastes way more expensive than it actually is. Transform your simple baked fish into an elegant meal any night of the week.
The Easiest Way to Level up White Fish
Let’s be real here: white fish can be pretty boring if you don’t treat it right and add some flavor. But that’s why I love it so much. It’s so light that it can take on flavors.
Something truly magical happens when you hit it with that honey garlic glaze. As this bakes, the sauce bubbles up, creating sticky, savory-sweet edges that are basically the best part of the whole meal.
This is one recipe that is on repeat quite often in our house. I love it on white fish, while Mr. Fantabulous loves it on salmon. And if there is any extra glaze, it gets drizzled over the veggies we serve with it, since that is liquid gold!
The cod (or really any white fish plus salmon) comes out so tender, light, and coated in that garlic-infused glaze that you’ll want to drizzle on pretty much everything else on your plate.
Baked Honey Garlic Glazed White Fish Ingredients
I already shared the “base” recipe for my 10-minute Honey Garlic Sauce. It’s funny, as I wasn’t planning on sharing a follow-on recipe so soon, showing you how to use it, but when Mr. Fantabulous saw me making the ‘secret weapon’ sauce, as he calls it, he asked if I was making fish for dinner.
So I figured, why not show you how I use this in a recipe that we both love!
- Cod Filets or Loins
- Olive Oil *optional
Chef Lori’s Tip for Baking Fish
- CAREMELIZE! Once the cod is almost cooked through, don’t just pull it out of the oven. Crank your broiler to high for the last 60 seconds, but KEEP YOUR EYE ON IT! The sugar in the honey will go from liquid to a bubbling, dark gold crust in an instant. That’s how you get those gorgeous “burnt ends” of sweetness!
Secret Weapon Honey Garlic Sauce
Check out the easy 10-minute recipe for full details on how to make this sauce!
- Melt the butter, sauté the garlic, then add honey, sugar, soy, vinegar, and pepper flakes. Whisk until combined and simmer.
- Make the slurry, pour it in while whisking, and cook until it coats the back of the spoon.
How to Bake Honey Garlic Glaze Fish
It takes longer for the oven to preheat than it does to assemble!
- While the oven is preheating, pat your fish completely dry.
- If your pan isn’t non-stick or you’re unsure the fish won’t stick, drizzle a scant teaspoon of olive oil over the top. This is completely optional. To be honest, sometimes I do, and sometimes I don’t. It honestly depends on the pan I’m using.
- Spoon the honey-garlic glaze over the fish, then preheat the oven and bake for ~8-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 140°F (60°C).
- At this point, crank the broiler to high, and for the last 60 seconds of cooking, broil the fish to caramelize the sauce, bringing it to 145°F (63°C).
Baked Garlic Honey Glazed Fish FAQs
- Can I use other fish? Absolutely! It’s easily adaptable to white fish and salmon. Remember, you’re shooting for a final temp of 145°F (63°C).
- Can I use frozen fish? Yes, but it has to be completely thawed first.
- How do I prevent the sauce from burning? Since honey has a high sugar content, it can go from “caramelized” to “burnt” quickly. Make sure the oven rack is in the center position. If you use the broiler at the end, DO NOT WALK AWAY!
- Can I meal prep this? Please never be one of those office fish microwave people. Cod is best eaten fresh because it’s so lean. BUT you can definitely flake the leftovers into a cold grain bowl or wrap them in a wrap the next day.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
What I love about it is that you don’t need a fancy grocery run or an hour of prep work to make a meal that feels so indulgent. Plus, there’s no standing over a frying pan getting oil splattered everywhere!
- PANTRY MVP: You probably already have the ingredients to make the sauce in your kitchen!
- EASY CLEANUP: Really, all you need is a spoon to add the glaze, a pan to bake the fish, and a spatula to move it onto your plate. Less time at the sink means more time actually enjoying dinner!
- TRULY VERSATILE: It’s just as good flaked into a taco as it is served over a pile of white rice. It’s the ultimate “chameleon” recipe for whatever you have in your fridge.
Recipe Substitutions and Additions
As I mentioned, this recipe is pretty forgiving. Go with what you have on hand!
- The Fish: Use cold loins for a thicker, steak-like cut or filets for a quicker cook. Halibut, Mahi Mahi, Salmon, and Haddock are great swaps
- Honey: Maple syrup is a great swap. It adds a slightly woodsy, autumnal depth that pairs incredibly well with pork.
- Rice Wine Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar works as well.
- Gluten-Free: Just swap the soy sauce for Tamari or liquid aminos
- How To Serve: Serve it over fluffy rice with steamed broccoli, flake it into charred tortillas for a killer fish taco, healthy grain bowl, or a lettuce wrap, all work!
20-Minute Honey Garlic Baked Cod Recipe
This honey garlic baked cod is flaky, caramelized on the edges, and honestly tastes way more expensive than it actually is. Transform your simple baked fish into an elegant meal any night of the week.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: seafood
- Method: oven
Ingredients
- 4 cod loins or filets, thawed and patted dry
- 1/2 cup Honey Garlic Sauce
- 1–2 teaspoons Olive oil (*optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Add the fish to your pan in a single layer. If your pan isn’t non-stick or you’re unsure the fish won’t stick, drizzle a scant teaspoon of olive oil over the top. This is completely optional.
- Spoon 2 Tablespoons of honey-garlic glaze over each piece of fish, then preheat the oven and bake for ~8-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 140°F (60°C).
- At this point, crank the broiler to high, and for the last 60 seconds of cooking, broil the fish to caramelize the sauce, bringing it to 145°F (63°C).
- Remove from the oven, plate, and enjoy
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